Okay, I'm sure many of you already know about consultant Jeff Speck and his assessments on OKC. He'll be back in town on March 31st. Anyhow, here is the latest info:

Pedestrian spaces need upgrading, expert Jeff Speck says
BY STEVE LACKMEYER
Published: March 24, 2009Buzz up!

Though his words might still sting, Jeff Speck’s observations on downtown’s hostility toward pedestrians would have been considered revolutionary just a decade ago.


http://photos.newsok.com/2/showimage/552412/medium
Jeff Speck

It’s a sign of changing times and leadership that Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett led the charge to hire the author and consultant to look at downtown’s pedestrian accommodations and come up with possible improvements.

Speck insists no less than the city’s economic future is at stake with this debate. Younger workers are looking for places they want to live first, he says, and making job searches secondary. And they are increasingly looking for urban settings where they don’t have to drive a car to work, visit their friends, socialize at a pub or buy a carton of milk.


Creating access
Veterans along Automobile Alley are likely to be amused by Speck’s observations of Broadway. More than a dozen years ago, after the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, a revitalization plan was launched for the stretch between NW 4 and NW 10 that included one of the city’s first streetscapes. Property owners unsuccessfully sought to narrow the corridor and create angled parking to make the street easier for pedestrian crossings. Then public works director Paul Brum denied their requests and proceeded with construction of a five-lane-wide street with a center turn lane.

Brum’s reasoning? If the city made such accommodations for Broadway, other areas might make similar demands. Yes, folks, how dare various parts of town demand the city address pedestrian needs for them, as well. This is no slam against Brum. Speck himself points out that Oklahoma City public works officials were tasked long ago with the mandate of "creating a city easy to travel through, but not worth arriving at.”


What’s happening?
Jump ahead to 2009, and Speck is suggesting narrowing Broadway, de-emphasizing it as the main north-south traffic corridor and maybe even adding angled parking to create a "safety zone” for pedestrians. Does any of this sound familiar, Automobile Alley?
No matter how well Speck’s report is received at City Hall or in the business community, like all consultants, he will be moving onto his next job in some other city. He suggests that nothing short of an official change in mandate from the city council will change how city engineers place motorists’ needs over those of pedestrians. Such a mandate could indeed follow. The council has seen almost a complete turnover in this past decade. And Ward 6 Councilwoman Meg Salyer was one among those fighting for pedestrians on Broadway way back when.


Simple and cheap?
Speck suggests solutions may be as simple and cheap as painting new stripes. And he sees Broadway, with its mix of residential lofts, offices, restaurants and retail shops, as an excellent place to start a mandate.
And who knows, maybe if all goes well, Paul Brum’s fears might be realized. Maybe other areas will demand the same changes. And is that really so bad?

At a glance
Public presentation
Urban Land Institute Oklahoma will host a public presentation by Jeff Speck at 6 p.m. March 31 at the Skirvin Hilton, 1 Park Ave. Speck is the former design director with the National Endowment for the Arts and is a principal of Speck & Associates LLC in Washington. Speck is co-author of "Suburban Nation” and a leader in the "New Urbanism” movement. Admission is free. For more information, contact Brenda Kelly ULI Oklahoma coordinator, at 607-6801 or e-mail: oklahoma@uli.org.

Blah Blah Blah on AA. I just don't see the benefits of turning Broadway into a 2-lane road. Parking really ISN'T a problem down there. Most places have lots in the back. When you turn the street into angled parking, you end up with downtown Norman where you take your life into your hands every time you back out. You can't see the on-coming traffic that you are backing in to and just have to hope no one is there.

And as for it being a problem for pedestrians, how in the world does having a few less lanes help make people want to walk more? I really like the way Broadway turned out and it's helped to make the place more accessible. I've walked around down there and been fine. Not once did I decide I wasn't going to walk simply because the road was 4 lanes instead of 2. I just don't see how it makes a bit of difference. People in major cities walk across more lanes and even we do downtown.

To me, his opinions seem to be a waste of money on this particular issue. It's great that we're taking in different views, but tearing up Broadway like that just doesn't float. And the arguement for routing traffic to another road.....why? Broadway was built to BE THE connector. The other N-S roads are residential and SHOULDN'T be converted to anything else.

i agree with bomber and i will parallel park any day of the week than try and back out of angled parking.

I see his points, although bomber has good points about the dangers of backing out. A speed limit decrease would porbably be necessary too...there's no traffic problem now, but elieminate lanes going both ways and knock down the speed limit to 20mph and you might develop some...?

Jeff Speck takes a walk in Oklahoma City and finds too-wide streets, too-low density and too much danger for pedestrians.

Planetizen (http://www.planetizen.com/node/37962)

I'm not really sure why Broadway is his target. There have to be a few larger arteries into a downtown, especially since we currently don't have any significant access besides cars. If I were going to make Broadway narrower, I'd do it by putting a boulevard down the middle and add a few more stoplights. To me, streetscaping is what makes streets more pedestrian friendly, rather than angle parking. Also, you need multiple things people want to walk to in the same stroll to really make a street user friendly. A small grocery store on Broadway, a pharmacy, a couple of little boutiques...things like that might make Broadway a destination stroll.

For the record, Speck didn't suggest turning Broadway into a two-lane road. That's not what I reported or wrote at least. Early discussions involved eliminating the rarely used center turn lane.

Oklahoma City public works officials were tasked long ago with the mandate of "creating a city easy to travel through, but not worth arriving at.”

The efforts to make Broadway more pedestrian friendly may be misdirected, but that statement is so true.

At this point, I'd just be happy if all street lights downtown were automatically timed for pedestrians.

People in major cities walk across more lanes and even we do downtown.

Most downtowns have much more narrow streets than Broadway.


And as for it being a problem for pedestrians, how in the world does having a few less lanes help make people want to walk more?

It shortens crossing times significantly, making the need for crossing lights to be timed shorter, which lessens the time cars are stopped and increases the frequency at which crossings can be allowed.

However, the desire to walk will be created by the density of services more so than the layout. If there were a lot of pedestrian traffic then it may make sense to narrow the street to possibly slow the traffic.


but tearing up Broadway like that just doesn't float.

I'm pretty sure it could be narrowed by simply repainting the lines. No actually street work would be required.


I'm not really sure why Broadway is his target. There have to be a few larger arteries into a downtown, especially since we currently don't have any significant access besides cars.

This is probably true. It would probably be more beneficial to use the extra space for a trolley that could be part of a downtown light rail system that moved people between the CBD, hospitality, bricktown, and AA districts.

Blah Blah Blah on AA. I just don't see the benefits of turning Broadway into a 2-lane road. Parking really ISN'T a problem down there. Most places have lots in the back. When you turn the street into angled parking, you end up with downtown Norman where you take your life into your hands every time you back out. You can't see the on-coming traffic that you are backing in to and just have to hope no one is there.

And as for it being a problem for pedestrians, how in the world does having a few less lanes help make people want to walk more? I really like the way Broadway turned out and it's helped to make the place more accessible. I've walked around down there and been fine. Not once did I decide I wasn't going to walk simply because the road was 4 lanes instead of 2. I just don't see how it makes a bit of difference. People in major cities walk across more lanes and even we do downtown.

To me, his opinions seem to be a waste of money on this particular issue. It's great that we're taking in different views, but tearing up Broadway like that just doesn't float. And the arguement for routing traffic to another road.....why? Broadway was built to BE THE connector. The other N-S roads are residential and SHOULDN'T be converted to anything else.


Angled parking in DT Norman wouldn't be a problem if Main was 2-way with a center median. The high rate of speed of people going one way on Main is what makes it dangerous. Reduce speeds by reducing lanes making it safer for pedestrians and cars backing out.

Just out of curiousity: of those of you opposing Speck's suggestions, how many major urban centers have you visited outside of Oklahoma? Have you read Speck's book, "Suburban Nation," or any other books about urban design? How much of your opinion is based on what you've always known and experienced here in Oklahoma City?
In other words, I have to ask: how do you know it's not broken if you've not seen it functioning properly?

Just out of curiousity: of those of you opposing Speck's suggestions, how many major urban centers have you visited outside of Oklahoma? Have you read Speck's book, "Suburban Nation," or any other books about urban design? How much of your opinion is based on what you've always known and experienced here in Oklahoma City?
In other words, I have to ask: how do you know it's not broken if you've not seen it functioning properly?

I've read Suburban Nation and have a good idea of his urban ideas. To be honest, his thoughts on downtown OKC are interesting, but I would be more interested in knowing his thoughts on the possibility of New Urbanist design and developments in Oklahoma City. I posted in another thread about Legacy in Plano (http://www.shopsatlegacy.com/) and think something like that would be incredibly enticing to a lot of people around here. He is, of course, a major proponent of these kinds of developments.

I like that Mike. Heck, even Addison has a nice area where there is retail on ground level, nicer apartments aboce and all around, and there's a towncenter/park of sorts. Even something that simple that doesn't quite rise to the level of the Legacy in Plano would be awesome. We're not far from it with all the new downtown condos, but those aren't exactly affordable and there's a lack of retail.

I posted in another thread about Legacy in Plano (http://www.shopsatlegacy.com/) and think something like that would be incredibly enticing to a lot of people around here. He is, of course, a major proponent of these kinds of developments.
That is like the Triangle (http://triangleaustin.com/eat/pages/site-plan.asp) in Austin.

Just out of curiousity: of those of you opposing Speck's suggestions, how many major urban centers have you visited outside of Oklahoma? Have you read Speck's book, "Suburban Nation," or any other books about urban design? How much of your opinion is based on what you've always known and experienced here in Oklahoma City?
In other words, I have to ask: how do you know it's not broken if you've not seen it functioning properly?

I've been plenty places and have seen many different thoughts on the issue. The main point is that it needs to fit the situation/location. AA isn't exactlly dense. It's a lot of low rise buildings with back lot parking. Many of the buildings are only single story. So the idea of making it a real urban classified area just doesn't work. It doesn't function badly as it is built now, in fact it works much better than it did before they did the work to make it as it is now.

Take a stroll around there at various times of day and you'll see that people don't walk around not because it's pedestrian unfriendly, but they don't have anywhere to walk to. The sidewalks are plenty big enough to be utilized if that need was there. It's more offices than anything else. You want an area where people are going to walk from their home/office to go eat or shop, you're looking at Midtown, not AA. AA folks are more likely to head to bricktown....in which case they are gonna take their car, guaranteed. And spending all that money on Broadway wouldn't change that fact.

Just out of curiousity: of those of you opposing Speck's suggestions, how many major urban centers have you visited outside of Oklahoma? Have you read Speck's book, "Suburban Nation," or any other books about urban design? How much of your opinion is based on what you've always known and experienced here in Oklahoma City?
In other words, I have to ask: how do you know it's not broken if you've not seen it functioning properly?

Haven't read the book, but have been to plenty of urban centers (probably 50 or more of the major metros in the US and several abroad), much more urban than OKC, and have rarely if ever seen diagonal parking work as Jeff Speck is mentioning. I echo some of the other posters comments, I prefer parallel parking in urban areas and find it easier to see traffic. I also don't have a walkability problem with downtown or AA. I do have a mass transit problem with this city though.

Bomber, I'm still confused on your take on Broadway. I guess whether Broadway has anything worth walking to is really a matter of opinion from one person to another. But cost is a factual matter, and I don't understand where you're coming up with a big pricetag if we're only talking about a few curb bump outs and restriping the road from five to four lanes. I've not heard Jeff or anyone else suggest widening sidewalks.
Jeff's reasoning behind angled parking is that it creates a safety buffer between cars and pedestrians.

I can tell you that some people who live downtown have told me they would like to see it become more accomodating to walking and biking. As for alternate north-south routes, I can tell you the city is already looking at converting Oklahoma from one-way to two-way traffic, and that Walnut Avenue is carrying a lot of the traffic into Bricktown that used to primarilly depend on Broadway/E.K. Gaylord.
I'm not saying Jeff Speck is right or wrong here. But I do question those who automatically dismiss his ideas and suggestions.

I'm with you Steve. I work downtown and I have lived downtown. In a metro area of 1MM+, you should see some bicycles downtown. Rarely do you.

I don't necessarily disagree with his ideas, and I love the convenience of angle parking, but I think it looks busy and detracts from the view if there are interesting old buildings. That's why, if we're going to try and make the street either less busy or more pedestrian friendly, I'd like to see a boulevard. Boulevards make it far easier to cross the street. Street crossings with angle parking can be dangerous, because people dart out from between parked cars. With a boulevard, you can cross half the street at a time. Then, they can be attractively landscaped and really green up an urban area.

When you try to back out of an angled parking place from behind an SUV you take your life in your hands. Please, outlaw angled parking.

I agree. If I stop for a Donut at Clark's bakery on 39th in Bethany it is quite hard to see to back out, especially if I am in my Jetta and a pickup or SUV is next to me. Gratefully there is a light at the corner to slow the cars down. I personally think AA has a lot of potential and could easily see Urban Outfitters or Crate and Barrel there.

THIS is why its a bad idea.

CCOKC, I totally agree with you on the angled parking in Downtown Bethany. It is a nightmare getting in and out. Same situation would be with Broadway in AA if they went to angled. Pretty STUPID, IMO. Downtown Edmond is the same way, but it's a little better since slower speed limit, landscaping, and a median in some spots.

I'm a downtown OKC resident, property owner, worker and part of the "young creative class" that the City and Speck are trying to attract and I DO NOT support changing it.

This is the type of angled parking that should be considered on AA: Back in angled parking (http://www.northamptonma.gov/tpc/BackIn_Angle_Parking_Test/)

There is a lack of parking in AA. If you got out of your cars and actually walked along Broadway, you would notice that prime, ground-level retail space in several buildings is taken up by cars. Why are there cars in these prime, ground-level retail spaces? Because the offices on the upper floors of these buildings do not have adequate parking anywhere else, so they make due with what they have at the detriment of the whole district.

Let's vote! (http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2009/03/27/automobile-alley-redo-the-poll/)

I heard Jeff speak at a Green Development conference put on by ULI a year or so ago. His ideas about adopting a form based code are interesting. He and other New Urbanists point out correctly that the charm that we often associate with urban cores (close set backs, narrow streets, grid based systems) are now illegal in most city code books.

As a suburban residentail developer, however, I tend to disagree with his broad brush approach to New Urbanism. While I think components of his opinion work (pedestrian friendly environments, fostering community within developments, etc.) the use of alley ways for parking/garage space just doesn't work in every market especially right here in OKC. The "snout house" in OKC is a way of life that won't go away for a number of reasons. That said, he does have an interesting perspective that is worth of debating.

I can't think of any reason not to at least consider new ideas.

I heard Jeff speak at a Green Development conference put on by ULI a year or so ago. His ideas about adopting a form based code are interesting. He and other New Urbanists point out correctly that the charm that we often associate with urban cores (close set backs, narrow streets, grid based systems) are now illegal in most city code books.

As a suburban residentail developer, however, I tend to disagree with his broad brush approach to New Urbanism. While I think components of his opinion work (pedestrian friendly environments, fostering community within developments, etc.) the use of alley ways for parking/garage space just doesn't work in every market especially right here in OKC. The "snout house" in OKC is a way of life that won't go away for a number of reasons. That said, he does have an interesting perspective that is worth of debating.

I can understand the reluctance for suburban developers to implement alley garages, although a few have in new neighborhoods like the Vinyard in Norman. I think it's important though to implement various strategies if you are developing a new neighborhood, whether it be in an existing city neighborhood (preferable) or in a suburb, such as:

1. Garages located on the side or back of the house
2. Narrow width lots and small front yards
3. Front porches
4. Sidewalks
5. Narrow, straight streets (continuation of the city street grid) as opposed to winding, unnecessarily wide streets
6. Landscape ordinances that require a higher % of trees kept or planted, and plants that are native to our climate
7. Street connections to adjacent existing/future neighborhoods (no gated neighborhoods)

I can understand the reluctance for suburban developers to implement alley garages, although a few have in new neighborhoods like the Vinyard in Norman. I think it's important though to implement various strategies if you are developing a new neighborhood, whether it be in an existing city neighborhood (preferable) or in a suburb, such as:

1. Garages located on the side or back of the house
2. Narrow width lots and small front yards
3. Front porches
4. Sidewalks
5. Narrow, straight streets (continuation of the city street grid) as opposed to winding, unnecessarily wide streets
6. Landscape ordinances that require a higher % of trees kept or planted, and plants that are native to our climate
7. Street connections to adjacent existing/future neighborhoods (no gated neighborhoods)

Please allow me to take a crack at a few of your points..........


# 1: Problem with rear/side loaded garages is, in my opinion, two-fold. One, the OKC market doesn't support it. The company I work for has tried many times to offer side/swing-in garages only to have them be some of the poorest selling floorplans that have had to eventually be phased out. It is similar to how people view brick homes vs. vinyl homes in this market where vinyl homes are undesirable in OKC but very accepted around the country.

Secondly, ally ways create a sort of "dead" space where trash, debris and the like tend to gather. Short of a comprehensive landscaping plan for an ally (and I have seen a few) they can be a real negative. Not to mention the percieved security risk that people feel when they leave their garage without the neighbors being able to see them.

#2: As for narrow lot widths, I'm all for them. However, the problem there is that you will usually get caught in coverage ratio maximum unless you go P.U.D. Additionally, the OKC market tends to like the ranch style open fell floor plan so the "build up not out" mentality that you may find in other markets is limited.

#3: Front porches are another interesting piece of the market. Sales for homes that I am familiar with (affordable housing/first time buyer market) generally shun front porches. This has been a real marketing puzzle until you start to link it with other trends in the market; security gates, backyard privacy fences (not chain link), limited or no seating for community use in developments(to keep out undesirables). From what I can determine (and this is a national trend) people are more apt to view their home as a bunker where safety and security are more desirable than a front porch. People like to keep their kids in backyards these days as opposed to running loose in the front yard. I pass no judgement on one way being better than the other but am merely pointing out a fact in the market.

#4: Yes, sidewalks are good.

#5: Yes, narrow streets are a good thing to slow down traffic (did I mention it saves on the cost of paving?!) but I will disagree with you on the grid. The straighter the street the more likely a person is to speed even with a narrow feel to it. Throw in some curves AND a narrow street and you really do get slower traffic. Also, curving streets act to break up the "snout house" affect and lend themselves to a more visually appealing community.

#6: Couldn't agree with you more. Heck, I will do you one better. I would love to see a mandated tree in the ROW to create the tree lined street affect from communities of old. Tree lined streets act to slow down traffic even further (think the narrow street affect) and can ultimately help a community maintain value as it ages. Public Works hates tree lined streets because of the percieved risk to subsurface structures but, if done correctly, this problem can be resolved.

#7: Master planned communities are great and I too hate security gates (but for cost and hastle reasons mainly).

Observations:
I grew up with a garage facing the back yard. It was great because it gave us a drive in the back yard where we could safety play basketball! I don't remember the drive or "alley" ever becoming a trash problem.
As for porches. I have one. Most of my neighbors do too. I'm very fortunate in that I don't live in a neighborhood with a bunch of cookie cutter Dallas-style homes. The homes have character and people do like to sit on their porches watching the kids play together in the yards and the street (we're good at yelling "car" when necessary).

I live in a pre-war neighborhood just west of OU in Norman. A lot of the New Urbanist neighborhood ideals are based on these types of neighborhoods where each house is different but basically the same type of house with front porches and stoops. My street doesn't have an alley but many around me do and they seem to work fine for people who have garages and as place to keep your trash bins. The straight streets don't seem to present much of a speeding problem due to cars parallel parked on the street, stop signs at intersections, and people walking around. Trees in the ROW between the street and sidewalk are a must if the city allows it, creating a shaded street like the ones around me. I love it, and don't think I could ever live in a bland, unwalkable subdivision. But many people do, although it would be nice to see more New Urbanist neighborhoods in and around OKC.

A development I know well is Stapleton in Denver which tries to mimic the positives of older neighborhoods in a brand new neighborhood built on top of the old Stapleton Intl. Airport. They restored the street grid and built alleys, and in place of backyards and frontyards they have numerous parks and a community pool. There are also numerous jogging/bike trails that tie into Denver's existing and planned trail network.

Stapleton
http://images3.zillow.com/is/image/i0/i0/i617/ISz8lhy9x0aysj.jpg

I strongly agree that OKC needs to be much more pedestrian-friendly; however, I disagree that AA needs these improvements. I live and work downtown and enjoy walking and crossing Broadway almost every day. In other areas, I'm often annoyed by the lack of sidewalks, convenient crossings, etc. I can't think of a single pedestrian complaint for AA!

I've also enjoyed plenty of time as a pedestrian in Manhattan and Chicago, where 4-5 lane traffic and parallel parking doesn't seem to hinder anyone.

Also, there has been some discussion about whether/where people who live downtown would walk. I live in AA and frequently walk to Bricktown rather than drive. It's a great walk. I also walk to several coffee shops and eateries near AA.

I spend a fair amount of time in Chicago, and I love the narrow houses with back alleys and garages. I agree that a lot of people who want to live in the suburbs don't want that type of housing, but I think people who are interested in living nearer the core of the city are probably more flexible. They may have lived in another city or been a frequent visitor in other cities, or at least admired those types of neighborhoods in other cities. Portland is building some very cool narrow houses on skinny lots that are very attractive. I don't have a link, but I read a magazine article about them.

Blah Blah Blah on AA. I just don't see the benefits of turning Broadway into a 2-lane road. Parking really ISN'T a problem down there.


This isn't about a parking issue, but I agree that angled parking is a bad idea. I would be in favor of losing the center turning lane, but keeping the parallel parking. The new space could allow for WIDER SIDEWALKS and more landscaping. This would go much further towards pedestrian friendliness than angled parking.

I would be in favor of losing the center turning lane, but keeping the parallel parking. The new space could allow for WIDER SIDEWALKS and more landscaping. This would go much further towards pedestrian friendliness than angled parking.

And room to add bike lanes too.

Yeah.

yeah, remove the center turn lane and put bike lanes on both sides of the street next to the parallel parking. voila!

yeah, remove the center turn lane and put bike lanes on both sides of the street next to the parallel parking. voila!

I have seen this done in many cities and it seems to work fine. The bike lane is placed in between the outer lane and parallel parking lane. Bikers just have to watch out for driver-side car doors opening. My hope is that this configuration is also used for Norman's Main St. through downtown when they eventually get rid of the angled parking/one way deathtrap.